Starting Anew
by Monisse
Summary: There was still a Kingdom to build, a Charter to restore. A love story with Sabriel and Touchstone. Set between Sabriel and Lirael. Now completely rewritten!
1. Chapter 1

**Pairing:** Touchstone/Sabriel

**Rating:** M

**Timeline:** Set in between Sabriel and Lirael

**Disclaimer: **This is the first fanfic I ever wrote in my life. I wrote it when I was 15 when I finished reading Sabriel for the first time, and I am now deciding to translate it into english as well as adding a lot more context and situations.  
I don't own nothing. All the characters and places belong to Garth Nix. I wouldn't mind owning Mogget though... I love that fur ball of irony :P

This story is now being rewritten from the first chapter on. Enjoy it.

* * *

Sabriel woke up from a restless sleep feeling a light-headed and dizzy. She opened her eyes slowly, painfully so, for the fear of still being in Death. All around there was silence, but it was not the deafening silence heard in Death, nor there was bone chilling cold that so many times had consumed her body. In that moment, there was just a simple silence of a still room and the warmth of life.

As her dark brown eyes fully opened to the brightness of the room they immediately fell on a well known face. The only face that she had wanted to see so disparately.

Upon the sight in front of her eyes, her heart started to race uncontrollably inside her chest in the same time a wave relief filled her soul, a sensation of extreme happiness that lead her to raise her arms and embrace the man in front of her. Pain shot through her body like an arrow. Every single muscle in her body ached with exhaustion in spite of the lost sleep she had just awakened from, but it was her stomach that complained the most. However, as soon as she had locked her tired arms around his neck and his large hands enveloped her smaller body, all the previous pain she felt melted away and the sensation of being protected, safe in his arms, enveloped her. In the back of her mind, her well educated school personality advised that she was close, too close to a male specimen, that it was no manner whatsoever for a well raised young woman to be that close to a man she barely knew. But then again, she had been strong for so long, and it seems that a life time had passed since she had rescued him from his wooden imprisonment, and it felt like she knew him better than anyone she had ever met in her short 18 years of existence. They stood there, entwined in a lovely embrace, as she clung to him for support, for awhile. The man was only Touchstone, same as always, with his blue grey eyes and light curly hair. His warmth was enough to warm her generally cold body again.

Their bodies broke apart allowing their eyes to meet, and thanking that everything was finally over. Her hands rested in his strong shoulders as her eyes travelled the length of his body sat in the border of her bed. She had feared for his death, and in those few seconds she had felt like her life had no purpose anymore, but in the end he had left the battle with only a broken leg, and now, there they were, reunited again in what seemed to be a hospital room.

He looked at her with relief all over his features even though his vivid eyes still shone with hints of tears.

"Are you feeling better? I was worried about you; I thought you had died." He whispered loudly enough so she was the only one hearing his confidence. His voice sounded rough in her ears due to the many emotions that crossed him, but in no way was it unwelcome, quite the contrary. Hearing his voice again was just as comforting as him embrace had been.

She could only smile at him unable to find the right words to describe the immense contentment that assaulted her.

All the adventures she had lived by his side in those few weeks were now running miles per hour in her head, the fear of fighting with the Greater Dead and her own father's death.

It didn't take long delving the recent memories for her white features become, once more, surrounded by sorrowful shadows of the past. The light in her eyes faded with the painful memories that crossed her mind.

She didn't seem to have anything else remaining in her life. She had lost her father, which had been her only family member. In a sense she had also lost Mogget, the Free Magic being who served the Abhorsens against his will, now imprisoned by Ranna the Sleepbringer, the weakest of the bells. The sleep binding was not the strongest, but even so she surely could not count on him to guide her in this new path she had to walk. She had lost some of her friends alongside the Wyverly College destruction. In the chaotic events of that night had felt her dear best friend Ellimere being swept away into the river, but not before giving her a magical Charter token that had freed her from Kerrigor's captivity. Lastly, she had almost lost Touchstone as well.

Tears started to fill her eyes and she rapidly lowered her head so he wouldn't see her weakness. It was already too late. With all the care that he felt for her, he lifted one hand and brought it to her face. He cupped her cheek with the lightest of touches and lifted her face to look deeply into her doe orbs.

Her eyes were glistening, burning with tears that fell stubbornly down her face. The sobs had started a long time ago, and muffled the words to explain the strong heart ache she felt.

"What's wrong?" He asked with fear in his voice. It hurt him to see her cry, so broken and lost. His thumb caressed her soft skin absently, without even giving a second thought about the many lines he could possibly be crossing too soon.

"I feel like I have to be strong all the time." She sobbed. "Fight the worst dangers, bring security to the ones surrounding me. That I have to swallow every feeling, sadness and pain in the process, but in reality all I want to do is cry in someone's shoulder." She finished in a stumble of sobs and words. Her hands were covering her face trying hard, but to no avail, to hide the burning tears.

He couldn't bear seeing her cry anymore. Her sobs shook through her body like sea waves in a storm and he quietly brought her to him, embraced her comfortably against his chest and placed a tender kiss on the top of her head.

She threw her arms around him, pain completely forgotten for a while, and rested her head on his shoulder crying all her sorrows until there were no more tears to fall.

All that she ever wanted in her life was to simply embrace someone and cry. She had wanted to cry for all the loneliness she ever felt, for the charge trusted upon her as a little girl, but because of pride or something else, she never did.

There she was again, being comforted for the second time in that day by the arms of the man that had become a very special friend, she felt for him an enormous care that in time became stubbornly locked in her heart. One of his hands stroked her head while his lips murmured soothing words into her ear.

She had been a simple school girl before, but now she was the Abhorsen, the one who entered Death in self-motto, the one who fought with the dead, keeping them away from entering the living realm. She never had time for much else before, not even to fall in love…

It was in that moment that they noticed many inquisitor eyes observing their actions. They looked around just to see doctors, nurses and some students that had survived. Everyone looked at the couple with affection; their eyes had comfort, fondness and comprehension written in them. They had come to see how the Abhorsen and her swordsman were feeling.

One of the doctors stepped ahead. Touchstone, a little embarrassed for being caught so intimately close to her, released her body and walked away limping on his wounded leg. She could see how flushed his face was and that made her smile a little to herself.

"How are you feeling, Miss Sabriel?" The doctor inquired.

"I'm feeling better now. The Charter marks are helping with the pain. Soon enough I'll be ready to leave, I hope." She said trying to convince the doctor, giving away her best reassuring smile.

The doctor approached her, lifted the covers and proceeded to untie the bandages around her stomach to access the wound.

"Your wound seems to be healing rapidly. You know, if it weren't for the Charter marks, you would not be here right now. I agree, in some days both of you will be able to be discharged." The doctor said, winking in her direction and finally exited the room taking with him all the staring people.

Sabriel felt tired, every muscle screaming in pain, and her eyelids were heavy with sleep. Touchstone walked once more in her direction and helped her into a more comfortable position in the bed. He then covered her tired body with the warm blankets once more.

"Sleep well." He said only above a whisper as he kissed her forehead right in the middle of her Charter mark which began to glow in a golden hue.

She was suddenly thrown into an infinite swirl of bright symbols that told a story about the beginning and the end of all existence and she felt the power in them as well as something else. The immense love that man nurtured for her poured in between the bright flow and immediately soothed her pain.

"Thank you…" She murmured in a muffled voice, thanking him for more than she could ever say, and her eyes closed as he walked away.

She indeed felt better, but an unsure future waited for her in the other side of the Wall, the one that divided Ancelstierre from the Old Kingdom in more ways than physical ones. The one kingdom to which Touchstone was to be king, the one that both of them had to keep safe from the dead.

She doesn't know what will happen from that day forward, but one thing was certain, she had to serve the king. She would have to serve Touchstone, help him rebuild the kingdom and restore the Charter, and that would keep them in the same path, close to one another.

"If only we could…" She whispered to herself before weariness took over her mind and lulled her to sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

Three days had gone by since Sabriel and the rest of the wounded had checked in the hospital. For those days she had slept dreamless sleeps fuelled by the Charter marks of healing and comfort.

One afternoon she heard soft steps in the direction of her bed. Thinking it would be Touchstone to come for company again she titled her head in the direction of the door and smiles kindly. However, the paces were too soft to correspond to the large bulk of the man, and her smile just broke into a larger when her eyes landed in the frame of her friend Sulyn.

The girl smiled shyly in her direction and twisted her hands nervously without really knowing how to address her long time friend after the terrifying events and the short time that they have been apart.

"Oh Sulyn," Sabriel whispered in relief. "I've missed you so much."

She extended her hand in her friend's direction and the other girl broke into a watery, pleased smile, ran to the bed side and hugged Sabriel tightly, pouring into that embrace all the fear that she had felt for her friend.

"Sabriel, I'm so glad you're feeling better." She said with her arms still around her friend.

Both embraced for a while longer until Sulyn retreated and sat in a chair nearby, still holding Sabriel's hand in her. For a while there was only silence, none of them knowing how to bridge the distance that had been created between them. In only a few weeks so much had changed, Sulyn had been at the college finishing her last exams when Sabriel had ventured to the other side of the Wall. The friends that had known each other ever since they were mere 5 year old girls seems slightly strangers now that Sabriel has gone through so much that forced her to grow up and view the world in an even more mature perspective.

Sulyn was the first one to break the silence.

"Ellimere, she..." Her words got caught in her throat and tears formed in her eyes while she shook her head trying to regain her composture.

"I know." Sabriel said sadly, tears also burning in the corners of her eyes. Her hand gripper her friend's one tighter, until none could restrain the tears anymore and they cried freely for the life lost of their mutual best friend. They cried for a long time, and every time they remembered the bright smile of their friend, or the memories they had built together for years, fresh new tears formed in their eyes.

"I'll never forget her, and I know neither will you, Sulyn." Sabriel said poignantly, at the end of another stream of tears brought by the stories and memories of their school their together that they were reliving.

Sulyn nodded vehemently and cleaned the tears with one trembling hand.

"But what now, Sabriel? What are you going to do?" She asked.

"I am the new Abhorsen, I have to go back to the Old Kingdom and perform my duties. I'm going with Touchstone." Sabriel said matter-of-factly.

"Touchstone, hum? The tall man that came with you?" Inquired Sulyn enthusiastically. "He's rather pleasing to the eyes." She finished with a sly grin of her own.

Sabriel laughed whole heartily remembering how much she had missed her easily romantic friend antics.

"He's a prince, you know?"

Sulyn's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a perfect shocked "o". "Really? A real one, like the ones of the stories we used to read under the covers at night?"

"Yes, just like one of those. Only this one is braver and sometimes too stubborn for his own good." Sabriel said with a laugh.

The piercing blue eyes of Sulyn stared into her brown ones, a scary technique that she had developed early in life and never failed to bright out the innermost truths of the person to whom she aimed that stare.

"You love him, don't you?"

Sabriel felt a blush creep up her cheeks and burn so furiously that for a moment all coherent speech was momentarily forgotten. Her eyes darted away from the intense ones of her friend and landed on the door where a tall figure stood.

"Touchstone!" Sabriel nearly yelled in surprise. For a moment he held her stare, so intensely that the blush in her cheeks only seemed to improve visibly. Sulyn just stood there looking between both with a grin plastered in her face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt." Touchstone said moving his stare to the floor and made a motion to leave the room.

"It's alright, you're not interrupting. Stay, I want you to meet my best friend Sulyn." The crimson shade on her cheeks subsided as normalcy fell on the room once more.

He turned on his heel and shook hands with Sulyn who began bombarding him with questions related to the Old Kingdom and much to his embarrassment, his royal head. Sabriel chuckled and let herself be involved by the friendly atmosphere in the room.

In the end of the third day, she could already walk without any help. Soon enough, she would be ready to leave to the Old Kingdom, to start a new life, a life as the new Abhorsen. She wore the typical Abhorsen attire and her curly raven hair fell in a cascade at her back.

She sat by the window and stared at what had been her home for the last 13 years of her life. Alcelstierre. Her eyes were fixed on the Wall far away, which would be the door to her new life. In her 18 years of existence she had learned fast how to be a woman, and not how to be the Abhorsen, and the weight on her shoulders was an entire kingdom.

Lost in her own thought she felt a familiar hand touch her shoulder lightly. She looked back to see a caring smile. Touchstone looked at her with the same stare as always, one that transmitted peace and security.

She stood up and held his hand in her. In that moment, time stood still. Only the both of them existed staring into the eyes of one another, silently asking for comfort and love.

Neither knew who moved first, but soon they were in the arms of each other, caught securely in a tight embrace. They embraced with body and soul, one strong embrace that drowned in the feelings they had towards each other. Both knew that their lives were about to change, but deeply they acknowledged that their paths were crossed.

"I'm ready to go." She mumbled to his chest and received a slight nod of his head in response. She picked up a small bag she would carry in her back where a precious cargo laid still. Inside two cats, one white and one black were sound asleep by the effects of two tiny Ranna.

Outside, in the hospital's gardens, an Army's car waited for them to start their journey to the Wall. They entered the car in silence and begun the voyage to their destiny.

When the car arrived they found the new Colonel that was now commanding the troupes on the Perimeter. They all exchanged a few words, explained the situation and with Touchstone proceeded to bind the wind flutes and make them work again. It took a few hours and a lot of effort on her part to finally make them work again, but as soon as they started to produce their characteristic notes only heard in Death, the atmosphere around seemed to grow calmed and peaceful. She smiled to herself in accomplishment and assured the Colonel she would be back very soon to fix some points on the Wall that had been destroyed by the advance of the dead.

The Army bought them an energetic white horse which would accompany them in their return to the Old Kingdom, since she had sent the Paperwing back at her own free will, and that would be a quick way to travel and a little token of appreciation from the people of Ancelstierre.

Touchstone helped Sabriel climb in the horse and then he bought himself up too, seating comfortably in front of her. The trouped wished both good luck and much respectful appreciation for their work.

Sabriel adjusted her position and laced her arms around his torso as he moved the manoeuvred the horse across the Wall. As soon as they crossed, they were by themselves. The winter was still in its peak in that side of the kingdom, but they could still feel the warmth of the last rays of autumn from the other side of the Wall.

"We still have a long path to go until the Abhorsen's house. I hope we can arrive before the sun set." He said, in a low whisper as not to disturb the quietness around. "Maybe that way we won't encounter any dead or free magic."

"I hope so too, but after killing K... I still can't say it, the binding is still strong. Anyhow, I think there will be no disturbs for a while." Said Sabriel and Touchstone only nodded.

The horse continued to walk in a somewhat quick pace in between the dark woods and open fields of low green grass covered in white blankets of snow, all through the Old North Road leading to the river Ratterlin. They reached the high inclination, and some miles ahead the entrance in the rock which lead to the house could be seen.

He got off the horse and helped Sabriel out as well. Once they approached the wall she made a move to the bandolier. Her fingers travelled along the shapes of bells and felt a pang of guilt and sadness while her fingers passed through the wholes where Saraneth and Kibeth once took place. Once she arrived home, she would have the task to craft new ones and clean Astarael. It would be a morose job, but it needed to be done.

Finally, and after making sure there were no dead lurking in the vicinity to hear the Waker, her fingers reached for Mosrael, and it rang clear under her skilful fingers. Long after the notes had rang silence fell and it seemed that it would drag forever until Charter marks appeared in the rock surface of the wall and a narrow door formed where there was nothing previously. Sabriel pushed the ring and suddenly, and much faster than the first time she had been there, the door opened.

Inside stood a Sending, pointing the way in with a finger made of small almost inperceptible Charter marks. Touchstone guided the horse behind Sabriel which was already calmly crossing the long tunnel where she had run for her life before.

In the end of the dark tunnel another Sending appeared and reached for the door, this one opened to the outside.

The Ratterlin River boiled below them splashing fresh drops of water on their faces.

Looking behind, Sabriel laughed on the sight she beheld, Touchstone was trying, unsuccessfully to calm down the horse. He grunted at the animal with an annoyed face and once he took some hold of it they all started to cross the stones that will lead to the house, but even crossing the horse would be quite a task.

Far ahead there was an island in the middle of the running water of the river; it was surrounded by a tall wall of white stone, a strong protection against the dangers of the death and free magic. The Abhorsen's house.

On the other shore, they used all their strength to push open the heavy gate access to the island. The horse was the first one to enter, disappearing after a while into the small patch of trees with a Sending close behind to take care of him.

Sabriel got a hold of Touchstone's hand and ran through the small path that went straight to the house. He could see that she was truly happy. Her eyes had obtained a brilliant spark and she laughed all the way, which infected him immediately.


	3. Chapter 3

She entered the house expecting to find something different, but there wasn't. Everything was exactly the same since the last time she had been there. The fireplace was burning delightfully, inviting the two of them to enjoy its warmth.

She reached for her bag and retrieved the sleeping cats from within. One cat, the white one, she deposited in the fluffy pillow right in front of the fireplace, his rightful place for centuries. The other, the black one, was carefully picked up from the bag by a Sending and locked in one of the cellars below, where it could not be disturbed from his binding sleep.

Mogget slept as the orange flames designed a pattern of light in his clean white fur. Imprisoned by Ranna's eternal sleep, the cat wouldn't wake up in a very long time, and if he did, a single rang of the bell would lead him back to sleep once more.

"It's good to be home again. Even though it brings sad memories, I'm glad to be back." Sabriel said while looking straight into Touchstone's eyes. He smiled at her, a complete full turn of the lips that she had never seen in him, and if he had looked appealing to her before, he now looked positively stunning with his blue eyes radiating warmth.

The Sendings came out of the kitchen and in their characteristic un-ceremonial way held Sabriel by the hand and led her up the stairs into the first floor.

She clearly needed a bath after a whole day of riding under the sun, and the Sendings, particularly the one with the cream vest, were the best at making that happen. Touchstone followed with unsure steps after the Sendings, not trusting the magical creatures that held the Abhorsen captive in their attention, halting his steps right outside her bedroom door.

One sending was busy undressing Sabriel, like they had done before, and as before she cursed the too much helpful being, begging for him to step aside, stressing the fact that she was a grown up woman and could take a bath for herself. Something that she came to understand about these Charter beings was that they only respected the needs of the master and couldn't care less about the auto-sufficiency of the Abhorsens.

Another one brought white clean towels and buckets of hot water that enveloped the room in a sulfurous smell for a while.

Touchstone stood rooted to the floor, watching the scene develop in front of his widened eyes, and a very flushed Sabriel being disrobed of her clothes.

The Sending started to wash her body, with a lemon perfumed soap probably bought in Belisaere and warm water ran down her naked body. The water ran gloriously down her long dark curls and washed away the faint sweat that once covered her chest and hips.

He was stunned. Never before he had seen large patches of her skin, let alone seeing her completely naked, and it only came to confirm his most inner dreams. Her body was young and fresh, a luminescent beauty. Drops of water fell over her porcelain skin while the setting sun filtered through the window and gave her an ethereal Goddess look that he would not be able to erase from his mind. The water curled down her full and round breasts, her flat stomach, her round hips and finally through her long legs.

His pants became suddenly uncomfortably tight in his crotch. He realized that he was panting and his body was reacting fiercely to her exposed one. Of course that he had been with women before, in his time 200 years ago, but none had ever awakened the raw feelings of passionate lust and deep love as this young girl had.

And then, as if sensing the tension in the room, the Sendings left in their silent calm and returned to their Charter marks, leaving her to finish the bath alone.

When she turned around to grab a tower to cover her shivering body, her eyes came upon the grey blue ones of Touchstone that stared at her intensely.

For a moment both stood quiet looking at each other, no words crossed their minds, only silence.

Touchstone felt his throat tighten as the panic slowly filled his veins. He tried to say something, anything, but the words didn't seem to be able to come out.

Wordlessly, he turned upon his heels just to find a Sending on his way. The Sending pushed him by the sleeve and, with all the intent of giving Touchstone a bath, dragged him through the corridor and into a guest room.

She quickly picked a towel and wrapped it around her body and ran after him, only having time to see him disappearing through another door at the end of the corridor.

Sabriel had never been like that in front of a man, and before Touchstone her experience with the opposite sex was close to none. He was in fact both the first man she had even seen naked and the first one to see her in the same state. At least she had the decency to blush furiously when his pale eyes roamed over her body as a passionate lover would do to his heart's desire.

She dressed then, a long white sleeveless night gown with an equally long deep blue robe above that the Sendings had prepared for her. Suddenly, cries of exasperation could be heard from the other room and then the splash of water. Finally, Touchstone was having an encounter with what she would like to call the wicked bathing Sending. Laughter started to bubble inside her as she listened to his surprised yelps as he was probably being thoroughly soaped and washed everywhere. And then, the laughter subsided as her mind took a turn at imagining the water falling over his muscular chest and tights, how his muscles flex as he moved.

She shook her head and with that the sensual images it had created went with it. She did not know what was wrong with her. Before she had been an innocent girl, of course with some knowledge about sexuality courtesy of her mother-Sending, but ever since she had found Touchstone's naked body it seemed that her mind had been constantly aware of that and her body had awakened to new sensations she didn't know she could feel before.

She went down the stairs and out of the house. A cold wind brushed her body and immediately her hands pushed the soft robe closer to it. She walked around the house, as the very last rays of sunset glistered in the soft snow, and stopped in her tracks when she saw the large object that was placed upon a wood ramp far off the wall hat faced the vast emptiness in front of the waterfall. A smile formed in her lips and tears of joy started to form in the corners of her eyes. There was still guilt in her heart for what had happened with the previous Paperwing that she had so recklessly lead to destruction, but it seemed that she had earned her forgiveness.

She walked closer to the seemingly delicate, but utterly strong, aircraft and used a hand to smooth the head, right above its shinning eye.

"I'm glad you decided to stay with me." She murmured to it as her hand moved to caress the bright red on the wing.

'Royal red… fit for a King.' She thought. 'And maybe a Queen?'

With that thought the happy tears that had previously formed in her eyes started to cascade down her face, and they were not of happiness anymore. A strong pain pressed in her chest, thinking how soon enough even him, the future King, would have to follow his own path and fulfill his duties towards the kingdom, and she would remain just a faithful servant. Sobs were cursing through her body at the thought that she would be left alone once again, with a heavy heart that carried a love so strong but that could never be.

A large hand folded against her shoulder scaring her out of her reverie. Her eyes, blurred by tears, locked with Touchstone's blue ones until they were not anymore, for he had pushed her body against him and her head was resting in his strong chest.

"I am so sorry." He whispered.

She lifted her head from the comfortable spot in his chest to look into his eyes once more. "About what?"

It took a long time for him to figure out how to suppress the embarrassment and apologize profoundly for what he had done.

"I'm apologizing for having walked up on you in your bath." And suddenly he couldn't control the words that left his mouth anymore. "I was afraid of what the Sendings were going to do with you, and then you were standing there naked and so beautiful… I'm truly sorry."

A blush tainted her face once more, and it seemed that lately it was all she was capable of in his presence. Crying and blushing like a naïve little girl.

"Oh Touchstone," She began shaking her head and spoke to him with tenderness. "I'm not crying because you saw me naked, and I realize that I am not offended by it."

His body relaxed visibly and his arms loosened a little more in her waits where they were still securing her firmly against him. "Then why were you crying?"

"I saw that the Paperwing had come back." She said while taking one hand from resting in his chest to signal the object behind her. "And then I realized that soon I'll be alone again. Just me, my Paperwing and a sleeping cat for company." She finished with a mirthless laugh.

For a while a puzzled expressing crossed Touchstone's face and she realized he was waiting for her to elaborate more.

"You'll soon be gone to Belisaere. You are needed there to rebuild the government, to be crowned King…" She started but was shortly interrupted by his words.

"And you will be there by my side." He said without room for further negotiation. "I will need your help to restore the Great Charter stones and get the capital and other cities free from the dead."

"I will help you, of course." However, her voice couldn't hide a little sound of disappointment. All she had wanted to hear was in what other ways he might need her in the future.

He then cupped her face in his hands and spoke tenderly. "And besides, you'll never be alone. I will always be here for you."

His face was so close that every breath caressed her lips and the temptation to cross the small gap between their mouths was greatly accentuated when he finished assuring her she would never be alone. She also noticed how his eyes were no longer looking into hers but had traveled down and were watching her slightly parted lips.

He too was struggling to keep his emotions in check, but the pull between them grew stronger at every moment and he just hoped she wouldn't find it too forward of himself to yield to the temptation and join their lips once more like she had done before. He just longed for another taste of her sweet lips.

She saw his face descend closer to hers and her eyes fluttered shut, already expecting the raw sensations that the touch of his lips would bring to her. Yet, it was not his lips that she felt next, but an insistent tug at the sleeve of her robe. Her eyes opened in disbelief and as soon as they did she noticed he was no longer looking at her but was staring at his ride, where a Sending was currently tugging at both her sleeve and his. A small grunt of annoyance escaped her lips and immediately the moment was broken. They took a step away from one another, both faces crimson with the intimacy that nearly happened and stared expectantly at the Sending. The magical creature then simply pointed towards the house.

"Dinner must be ready." Sabriel murmured without looking into Touchstone's eyes again.

He cleared his throat, visibly taken aback and nodded silently. She started to walk back into the house with him at her heels. Her head was full of all the possibilities of what could have been and how the next days would go by with the palpable tension growing rapidly between the two of them.


End file.
